Arsonist may have picked wrong target

It is believed that an arsonist on upper Eyre Peninsula in South Australia has picked the wrong target in a row over commercial fishing.

A $17,000 utility was firebombed at Lucky Bay on Tuesday.

The words "Stop Netting Lucky" had been painted on the vehicle.

The utility's owner has no association with fishing but his neighbour, Whyalla-based commercial fisherman Graham Harrowfield, says he thinks the message was meant for him.

Mr Harrowfield says it seems to be part of an ongoing campaign against netting.

"We've had brand new boats firebombed and burnt to the ground before, we've been shot at, we've been run off the road, we've had just numerous things over the years," he said.

"Twenty years, I'm not joking ... I've had barbed wire put in the water at Lucky Bay a bit over 12 months ago and lost a complete mesh net basically and absolutely nothing was done then and it's the same issues all the time mate.

"The thing that I find pretty hard is when my family are threatened. I mean it's not safe to leave your wife or kids at a shack."